About us

The Founder of Scouting: Lord Robert Baden-Powell

Scouting began with 20 boys and an experimental camp held during the first nine days of August 1907, at Brownsea Island, Dorset. The camp was a great success with tent pitching, use of a map and compass, cooking over a wood fire and tracking.

It proved to its organiser, Lord Baden-Powell, that his training and methods appealed to young people and really worked.

From those earliest days, Scouting flourished with Scouts being recognised for their role during both world wars and continually evolving to become the fantastic youth organisation of today.

Scouting at 24th Chelmsford

At 24th Chelmsford, Scouting began in 1961. We opened our Beaver Scout Colony in 1988.

We used to meet in the Church of the Holy Spirit on Forest Drive where we shared the space with the Brownies opposite the main Church hall. We moved into our current building (just off of Savernake Park) about 30 years ago and have been serving young people in the Westlands, Writtle, and further afield areas since!

Our Scout Troop closed in summer 2019 due to our numbers dropping to just 2 Scouts, yet we re-opened our Troop in December 2024 ready to give those aged 10.5 to 14 #SkillsForLife

At 24th, we now offer experiences for those aged 6-14:
We have a Beaver Colony for those aged 6-8, a Cub Pack for those aged 8-10.5, and a Scout Troop for those aged 10.5-14

We are lucky to be located very close to Skreens Park Activity Centre – a scout site run by Essex Scouts where we can do a plethora of activities ranging from Axe Throwing to Caving and Kayaking.
We are also within driveable distance to Riffhams Campsite, where we hold Campfires, Overnight Camps, and Wide Games during our sessions.

24th Chelmsford Scout Troop in 1976

Historic photograph of the 24th Chelmsford Scout Troop at the 8th Essex International Jamboree which was held at Belchamps Scout Activity Centre in  Essex in late July/August 1976.

24th Chelmsford Scout Troop in 1976

Photos extremely generously provided by Stuart Axe. All rights reserved to him.